Envelopes



Feb. 3, 1959 I pRlAL 2,872,099

' I ENVELOPES Filed Aug. 3, 1955 Fig.2

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Fig. 4

Fig. 5

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I" ziii 38 His 48 was M: 22 55555 Gerard Pria/ u 'Ei INVENTOR Mi: {MilCd 14 BY KZWT United States PatentO ENVELOPES Gerard Prial, Island Park,N. Y. Application August 3, 1955, Serial No. 526,292 1 (Zlaim. (Cl.229-73) This invention relates to improvements in the construction ofenvelopes and similar mailing containers and 2,872,099 Patented Feb. 3,1959 provided with small, rectangular flanges 24 and 26 that define sidewalls for the envelope in its sending condition and are hinged by foldlines 25 to the edges. The panel has opposing surfaces 28 and 30, thesurface 28 providing theinner back wall of the sending and returnenvelope and the surface 30 providing the outer forms the inner surfaceof the front wall of the return is particularly directed to an improveddual use envelope n which can be used as a sending and return envelope.

A primary object of this invention is to provide an envelope ofone-piece construction which is eflectively sealed in both itsforwarding and returning states and which can be changed from itsforwarding'state into a return envelope in a fast, simple and convenientmanner.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a one-pieceenvelope which can safely retain bills in its envelope while the surface34 is adapted to have the senders name (as shown in Fig. 4) printed orotherwise inscribed thereon.

The panel 22 constitutes the front wall of the sending envelope and, isprovided at its outer end edge with a sending form and remittances inits return form due to 1 an efiective but simple full sealing means andwhich is inexpensively formed due to a simple design which eliminatesexcessive folds, flaps and the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide an envelope which isformed from a rectangular sheet of paper which is folded transverselyupon itself to provide the envelope and which includes three panels, oneof which is centrally located and forms the back panel of the envelopein its sending and return condition, and the other two of which are endpanels that form the fronts of the envelope in its two conditions, oneof said end panels overlying the other and being removable to fullyexpose the other.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple,inexpensively constructed and reliably and conveniently usable envelope.

The foregoing and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, thebest known form of which is set forth in the following description andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the envelope in blank form;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the envelope in its sealed initialmailing condition;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the sending envelope of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the envelope in its return sealedmailing form;

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the envelope shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 77 of Fig. 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the dual use envelope isshown in its sealed sending and return forms in Figs. 2 and 3 and Figs.4 and 5, respectively. The envelope, generally designated by the numeral10, is formed from a single sheet 12 of suitable paper material, shownin Fig. 1. As shown therein, the sheet 12 is substantially rectangularand is divided by longitudinally spaced, transverse score lines 14 and16 into three rectangular panels 18, 20 and 22, of which panel 20 iscentrally disposed while the other panels are end panels, the panel 18forming a first end panel and the panel 22 forming a second end panel.

The center panel 20 has straight side edges which are sealing flap 38thathas mucilage on its inner side. The flap 38 is formed in the shapeof a V and has tapered side edges and forms the top wall of the sendingenvelope. Also side flaps 44 and 46 are provided to form the sides ofthesending envelopej p The panel'22 consists of a rectangular removablesection 40 which is outlined by perforated lines 42 to permit it to beeasily removed from the flaps 38, 44 and 46. When so removed, thesurface 34 of the section 18 is exposed so as to expose the senders nameand address on the return envelope. The removable section 40 is formedwith a cut-out or window 48 that exposes the address on a bill 50 whichis placed between the panels 20 and 22 in the sending function of theenvelope.

In the initial use of the envelope, that is the sending form shown inFigs. 2, 3 and 6, the panel 18 is disposed flat on the surface 28 of thepanel 20 with the surfaces 28 and 32 in contact and the flap 36 foldeddown fiat onto the surface 32 of the panel 18. The side flanges 24 and26 are folded onto the surface 34 and glued or otherwise fixed theretoto form the side walls of the return envelope. The panel 22 is disposedflat on the surface 34 of the panel 18 and the side flaps 44 and 46 areglued onto the surface 30 to form the side walls of the sendingenvelope. The bill 50 bears the address of the receiver and is insertedbetween panels 18 and 22 with the address visible through the window 48.The flap 38 is bent over and stuck onto the outer surface 30 of thepanel 20. The envelope has now been sealed and is ready for first classmailing.

When the receiver receives the envelope, the tear section 40 of panel 22is removed on the lines 42.

Th return envelope now consists of panels 18 and 20. The flaps 44, 46and 38. may be left stuck to the panel 20. The panel 18 forms the frontwall and panel 20 the back wall of the return envelope. The surface 34is exposed by the complete removal of the tear section 40. The returnremittance 52 or the like is then inserted between panels 18 and 20 andthe flap 36 is reversed to seal the opening between the mating outer endedges thereof. The score line 16 forms the closed end of such returnenvelope.

While the preferred form of this invention has been shown and describedherein, other forms may be realized as coming within the scope of theinvention defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed:

A one-piece sending and return envelope formed from a substantiallyrectangular sheet of paper divided by transverse, longitudinally spacedscore lines into three 3 7 equally dimensioned rectangular panels terpanel and a first and a second end panel hingedly joined at their innerend edges by the score lines to the end edges of the center panel, saidpanelshaving opposing side-edges disposed in longitudinal alignment,said center panel having equally dimensioned hinged flaps on itsopposing side edges, the center panel defining the back wall of theenvelope in both its sending and return mailing conditions, said firstend panel being folded over onto the center panel and forming the frontwall of the envelope in its return condition with said flaps folded overonto and secured to the first end panel and forming the side walls ofthe return envelope and the score line between the center panel and thefirst end panel forming the bottom wall of the envelope in its returncondition, said first end panel having its outer end edge formed with asealing flap which is folded back down onto the first end panel in thesending condition of the envelope and which is adapted to be folded overonto the back surface of the center panel to form the top wall of theenvelope in its return condition, said second end panel being foldedover onto the first end panel in the sending condition of the envelopeand forming the front wall of the sending envelope with the first endpanel interposed between the center panel and the second end panel, saidsecond end panel having side flaps and an end flap which flaps arefolded over onto the back surface of the center panel and glued theretoto form the end walls and the top wall of the envelope in its sendingcondition, the score line between the center panel and including acenthe second end panel forming the bottom wall of the envelope in itssending condition, said second end panel having a window formed thereinto expose an address on a bill inserted between the first end panel andthe second end panel and said second end panel being joined byperforations to its end and side flaps, said perforations joining saidend and side flaps to said second panel and said perforations joiningsaid second panel to said center panel forming a complete rectanglewhereby said second panel may be torn out and removed in its entirety topermit access to said bill and said sealing flap of said first panelwhereby said envelope may be transformed to its return condition, saidend flap of said second panel being in the form of an inverted V whenfolded to facilitate removal of said bill after said second panel hasbeen entirely removed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS886,449 West May 5, 1908 1,324,100 Binkowitz Dec. 9, 1919 1,344,071Webster June 22, 1920 2,317,335 Whitman Apr. 20, 1943 2,681,175 DavidJune 15, 1954 2,773,638 Krohn Dec. 11, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,058 GreatBritain Feb. 6, 1912 245,999 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1947

